Flat car having a plurality of fixed intermediate bulkheads

ABSTRACT

A railway flat car having an end stub center sill structure adjacent each end thereof and a pair of side sills extending the length of the car. A plurality of bulkheads forming load compartments therebetween extend between the side sills and are fixed to the deck of the car for transferring loads between the side sills and the end stub center sill structures. Gates are mounted on the ends of the bulkhead for selective pivotal movement between open and closed positions thereby to restrain lading between the bulkheads against lateral movement when the gates are in a closed position.

United States Patent OLeary et al.

[ 51 Sept. 26, 1972 [54] FLAT CAR HAVING A PLURALITY OF FIXED INTERMEDIATE BULKHEADS [73] Assignee: ACF Industries, Incorporated, New

York, NY.

221' Filed: Mayll, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 36,104

[52] US. Cl ..105/366 R, 105/376, 105/414 [51] Int. Cl ..B65j 1/22, 860p 7/06 [58] Field of Search 105/366, 422, 414, 360;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,801,597 8/1957 Ecoff ..105/414 1,449,303 3/1923 Smith 105/366 R 1,853,594 4/1932 Woodruff ,.l05/366 R 3,389,663 6/1968 Gutridge ..105/366 R 3,520,256 7/1970 Gutridge 105/366 R 1,807,268 5/1931 Woodruff ..105/366 R Rl9,8l5 1/1936 Woodruff ..105/366 R 2,810,602 10/1957 Abrams ..105/422 2,674,207 4/1954 Kerbaugh et al. 105/3 76 Primary Examiner-Drayton E. Hoffman Attorney-Eugene N. Riddle [57] ABSTRACT A railway flat car having an end stub center sil structure adjacent each end thereof and a pair of side sills extending the length of the car. A plurality of bulkheads forming load compartments therebetween extend between the side sills and are fixed to the deck of the car for transferring loads between the side sills and the end stub center sill structures. Gates are mounted on the ends of the bulkhead for selective pivotal movement between open and closed positions thereby to restrain lading between the bulkheads against lateral movement when the gates are in a closed position.

4 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTEU SEP 26 I97? 3. 693. 554

SHEET 1 0F 7 FIG. I.

INVENTORS.

WALTER E. O'LEARY DUANE v. THORNTON 5 i wnm ATTORNEY PATENTED I973 3.693, 554 saw u 0F PATENTEDSEPZB 1912 SHEET 8 BF 7 FLAT CAR HAVING A PLURALITY OF FIXED INTERMEDIATE BULKHEADS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Normally railway flat cars employ a continuous longitudinally extending center sill which extends the length of the car. When bulkheads are secured to the side sills of such a flat car, the center sill must be forced into contact with the bulkheads .for welding. This requires substantial jacking equipment. Railway flat cars having end stub sill structures havebeen employed heretofore. However, such cars have employed transverse members, such as cross bearers or cross beams beneath the deck and extending transversely of the car for transferring loadsbetween the side sills. In the event continuous center sill structures are employed extending the length of the car, cross bearers and cross-ties are secured beneath the deck between the side sills and the center sill for transferring loads therebetween.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The present invention comprises a flat car having an end stub center sill structure adjacent each end of the car. Transverse bulkheads are secured to the upper surface of the deck and the upper flanges of the side sills for transferring vertical loads therebetween. This vertical load transfer capability not only provides for gravity loads and. dynamic amplification of gravity loads, but also provides reactions for the moment introduced into the stub center sill structures by eccentricity from the longitudinal coupler forces. The bulkheads are easily aligned and secured by welding to the upper surface of the car.

The plurality of bulkheads extending transversely of the deck divides the car into a series of loading compartments while restraining longitudinal movement or shift of the Iading between the bulkheads. The bulkheads are normally spaced at least a distance sufficient to permit a fork lift truck to be driven between a pair of adjacent bulkheads. Two gates are pivotally mounted on each end of each bulkhead and may be releasably secured in open and closed positions for the loading and unloading of ladings. The flat car is particularly adapted for the transport of metal bars, such as copper and zinc.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

FIG. I is a side elevation of the railway flat car comprising the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan of the railway car shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevation, with certain parts'broken away, of an end of the railway car shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and illustrating the stub center sill structure;

FIG. 4 is a section taken generally along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a section taken generally along line 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a section taken generally along line 6--6 of FIG. I;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged top plan of an end of the railway car shown in FIGS. I and 2;

FIG. 8 is a perspective of a transverse bulkhead illustrating the gates mounted on the ends thereof for restraining the lading; and

FIG. 9 is. a perspective similar to FIG. 8 but illustrating the gates in another position.

Referring now to the drawings, a railway flat car is generally indicated 10 and includes a pair of side sills generally indicated 12 extending the length of the car. Each side sill 12 comprises an end portion 14 of a relatively small depth and a center portion 15 of a relatively large depth. Sill 12 includes an upper flange 16, a lower flange l8, and a connecting vertical web 20.

A stub center sill adjacent each end of car 10 is indicated generally 22 and is of a hat-shaped design. An end shear or cover plate 24 is secured to end stub center sill 22 and is secured, such as by welding, to the undersides of flanges 16 of side sills 12 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. End shear plate 24 extends between the end of the car and terminates rearwardly at a bolster structure generally indicated 26. Shear plate 24 forms the upper cover plate of bolster structure 26 and reacts the coupler forces which introduce a moment. A lower bolster cover plate 28 is secured beneath a vertical web 30 and a center plate 32 is secured to lower cover plate 28. Suitable side bearings 34 are mounted on the underside of cover plate 28 and vertical reinforcements 36 extend upwardly above side bearings 34. A wheeled truck generally designated 38 has a center pin 39 for fitting within center plate 32 as shown in FIG. 5.

Mounted at each end of the car is a vertically extending end frame 40 which is adapted to support a cover (not shown) for positioning over lading transported on railway car 10. Spaced along the length of the car between end frames 40 are end bulkheads generally designated 42 and intermediate bulkheads generally designated 44. Each bulkhead 42, 44 includes a pair of opposed sides or faces 46, end plates 48 connecting sides 46, a bottom plate 50, and an upper plate 52. Lower extensions 54 extend outwardly from the lower end portions of end plates 48 particularly as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. The lower surfaces of bulkheads 42, 44 rest on the upper surfaces of flanges 16 of side sills l2 and are secured thereto, such as by welding. Extensions 54 extend outwardly to the outer edges of upper flanges 16, particularly as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. A vertical reinforcement 56 adjacent each side of each bulkhead extends below the adjacent flange 16. Bottom wall 50 extends between and is secured to vertical reinforcements 56. Vertical stiffeners 59 are secured to side sills 12 in the area beneath bulkheads 42, 44. Deck portions 60 extend between bulkheads 42, 44 and stringers 62 are secured beneath deck portions 60. Stub center sill 22 terminates rearwardly at intermediate bulkhead 44 immediately adjacent bulkhead 42 as shown in FIG. 3. Thus, no center sill is provided between the stub center sills 22.

Bulkheads 42 and 44 are secured to side sills l2 and transfer vertical loads between the side sills 12 and the stub center sills 22. Transverse bulkheads 42 and 44 are easily attached and secured to the top flanges 16 of side sills 12 in addition to providing restraint of lading in the areas of compartments formed between the bulkheads.

Loading compartments formed between bulkheads 42 and 44 are of a size adequate to provide clearance for a forklift truck which may carry lading on and off flat car 10. The flat car is particularly adaptable for hauling or transporting metal bars, such as copper or zinc bars which are normally loaded by forklift trucks.

Mounted on each end of bulkheads 42, 44 are gates generally indicated 64. Brackets 66 extend outwardly from end plates 48 of bulkheads 42, 44 and support arm 68 on gate 64 are pivotally mounted at 70 to brackets 66; Upper support arms 68 have a pair of openings 72 therein. Locking arms 74 are pivotally mounted at 76 to upper plate 52 and securing pins 78 on the outer ends of arms 74 are adapted to fit within openings 72 for selectively retaining gates 64 in open or closed position. Hand holds 80 may be manually gripped for lifting arms 74.

To move gate 64 from a closed position to an open position, associated arm 74 is lifted upwardly by hand hold 80to remove pin 78 from opening 72. Gate 64 is then manually moved to an open position as shown in FIG. 9 and pin 78 is then inserted in adjacent opening 72 for holding gate 64 in open position. Gates 64 also serve as a safety barrier to prevent forklift trucks from accidentally running off the side of the railway car when loading lading, such as metal bars, thereon. Normally, metal bars are in bundles which are transported by the forklift truck onto the car and positioned adjacent a bulkhead. It should be noted that the sides or faces 46 of bulkheads 42,44 are tapered slightly to facilitate loading and unloading of the lading. Thus, the lading will normally only be contacting one of the adjacent faces 46.

What is claimed is:

l. A railway flat car comprising, a side sill extending along each side of the flat car, a wheeled truck adjacent each end of the car, a stub center sill adjacent each end of the car each terminating inwardly at a position generally in the area of the rear portion of a subjacent wheeled truck, a plurality of spaced bulkheads extending transversely of the. car and secured to the side sills for transferring loads between the side sills and the stub center sills, said plurality of bulkheads including a pair of end bulkheads and at least a pair of intermediate bulkheads between the end bulkheads, said side sills each comprising an upper flange, a vertical web, and a lower flange, said bulkheads being supported on and secured to the upper flanges of the side sills and providing load compartments between adjacent bulkheads, and a restraining gate mounted for pivotal movement about a vertical axis on each end of each bulkhead and being of a height generally the same as the height of the associated bulkhead, said gate being movable in a generally horizontal direction between an open position not projecting substantially beyond the adjacent face of the associated bulkhead and a closed position extending outwardly in a direction longitudinally of the car beyond the adjacent face of the associated bulkhead to restrain lateral movement of lading positioned in the load compartment formed between adjacent bulkheads.

2. A railway flat car as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said intermediate bulkheads has a pair of load restraining gates mounted on each end thereof.

3. A railway flat car comprising, a side sill extending along each side of the flat car, each side sill having an upper flange, a vertical web, and a lower flange, a pluralit of s aced bulkheads ext ndin tr nsversel of the car rind s cured to the upper flange s o the side lllS for transmitting loads between the side sills, a pair of load restraining gates mounted for pivotal movement about a vertical axis on each end of at least some of the bulkheads and being of a height generally the same as the height of the associated bulkhead, said gates being movable in a generally horizontal direction between an open position not projecting substantially beyond the adjacent face of the associated bulkhead and a closed position extending outwardly in a direction longitudinally of the car beyond the adjacent face of the associated bulkhead to restrain lateral movement of lading positioned between adjacent bulkheads, and means on the associated bulkhead releasably securing the gates at open and closed positions.

4. A railway flat car as set forth in claim 3 wherein links connect each gate to the associated bulkhead for pivotal movement in a horizontal plane between open and closed positions. 

1. A railway flat car comprising, a side sill extending along each side of the flat car, a wheeled truck adjacent each end of the car, a stub center sill adjacent each end of the car each terminating inwardly at a position generally in the area of the rear portion of a subjacent wheeled truck, a plurality of spaced bulkheads extending transversely of the car and secured to the side sills for transferring loads between the side sills and the stub center sills, said plurality of bulkheads including a pair of end bulkheads and at least a pair of intermediate bulkheads between the end bulkheads, said side sills each comprising an upper flange, a vertical web, and a lower flange, said bulkheads being supported on and secured to the upper flanges of the side sills and providing load compartments between adjacent bulkheads, and a restraining gate mounted for pivotal movement about a vertical axis on each end of each bulkhead and being of a height generally the same as the height of the associated bulkhead, said gate being movable in a generally horizontal direction between an open position not projecting substantially beyond the adjacent face of the associated bulkhead and a closed position extending outwardly in a direction longitudinally of the car beyond the adjacent face of the associated bulkhead to restrain lateral movement of lading positioned in the load compartment formed between adjacent bulkheads.
 2. A railway flat car as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said intermediate bulkheads has a pair of load restraining gates mounted on each end thereof.
 3. A railway flat car comprising, a side sill extending along each side of the flat car, each side sill having an upper flange, a vertical web, and a lower flange, a plurality of spaced bulkheads extending transversely of the car and secured to the upper flanges of the side sills for transmitting loads between the side sills, a pair of load restraining gates mounted for pivotal movement about a vertical axis on each end of at least some of the bulkheads and being of a height generally the same as the height of the associated bulkhead, said gates being movable in a generally horizontal direction between an open position not projecting substantially beyond the adjacent face of the associated bulkhead and a closed position extending outwardly in a direction longitudinally of the car beyond the adjacent face of the associated bulkhead to restrain lateral movemenT of lading positioned between adjacent bulkheads, and means on the associated bulkhead releasably securing the gates at open and closed positions.
 4. A railway flat car as set forth in claim 3 wherein links connect each gate to the associated bulkhead for pivotal movement in a horizontal plane between open and closed positions. 